How the world reacted to the Irish Apple tax ruling

There has been a huge reaction to the European Commission's ruling on Apple's tax practices in Ireland. Here's a selection from around the globe.

Georgia Wells, writing in the Wall Street Journal, suggested that Ireland's tax deal with Apple raises questions about Facebook's operations in the country.

Her piece quotes Reuven Avi-Yonah, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, who said: “People will be looking at whether their arrangements with Ireland amount to what they are accusing Apple of doing.”

She points out that Facebook is already under investigation by the IRS in the United States.

Apple’s Irish tax woes could ensnare another tech giant already facing a tax investigation: Facebookhttps://t.co/gS6sIaaOOW 🔓

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 31, 2016

Mashable's Jenni Ryall analyses what they call a "sweetheart deal" and notes that while Apple made $74 billion between 2009 and 2012, the company paid little tax as it claims it is not a tax resident in any jurisdiction.

A Silicon Republic writer speaks to IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan who says that Ireland's position on tax has not changed because of the ruling and states that Ireland does not do tax deals.

He adds that the ruling does not mean that Ireland's tax system and corporate tax need to be questioned.

‘We do not do tax deals’, says IDA Ireland CEO on EU Apple ruling https://t.co/4F4l7Ll9MS #AppleTax #Apple #Ireland

— Silicon Republic (@siliconrepublic) August 30, 2016

Kelly Couturier of the New York Times writes about how the European Commission are eyeing other tech giants and could target Google, Microsoft and Qualcom.

How Europe is going after Apple, Google and other U.S. tech giants https://t.co/XqkeJuo3mE

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 31, 2016

Ellen Coyne in The Times of London focuses on the reaction, in Washington, to the ruling. She writes that the Obama administration has repeatedly hit out at European crackdowns on US multinationals and reports that the Department of Treasury had released a report that found that US companies were being treated unfairly.

Washington hits back at EU, labels Apple tax ruling ‘cheap money grab’ https://t.co/e0cK2vJPs1 pic.twitter.com/PruPFdcXcL

— The Times and Sunday Times (@thetimes) August 31, 2016

An Economist poll with nearly 7,000 votes found that 56% of voters think the ruling is fair as "rules were flouted."

Is the European Commission ruling for Apple to pay €13bn in unpaid taxes to Ireland fair?

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) August 30, 2016

Writing in Time Magazine Rana Foroohar says the ruling is just the beginning of a very big fight between the world's richest companies and its governments.

They report that Irish authorities are "caught in the middle" and scared of losing jobs, but places the blame on a global tax system that is out of control.

The headline claims that Apple versus the EU is the biggest tax battle in history.

Apple versus the EU is the biggest tax battle in history https://t.co/8DWRqgPzHG

— TIME (@TIME) August 30, 2016

The story is the most commented upon on the Financial Times website.

They quote Paul Ryan, speaker of the US House of Representatives who said that the decision was awful and sends the wrong message to job creators on both sides of the Atlantic.

They say the fallout threatens to overshadow the launch of the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch.

Most commented-on right now - Apple hit with €13bn EU tax penalty over illegal Irish aid https://t.co/QUgNIyvhaO pic.twitter.com/YRLWnLWD6n

— Financial Times (@FT) August 31, 2016

Sky News acknowledged that the story dominated the front pages of the newspapers in the UK this morning.

The UK broadcaster mirrored the angle of others by focusing on the US multinationals who could be in the firing line following the ruling but did not restrict its focus to tech companies, bringing McDonald's, Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler into the equation.

Apple's Tax Bill Dominates Wednesday's Newspaper Front Pages https://t.co/nWCczRVTdi

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 30, 2016

METRO FRONT PAGE 'Fury at Apple's 0.005% tax bill' #skypapers pic.twitter.com/BAnuSDIiEA

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 30, 2016

GUARDIAN FRONT PAGE 'Apple rages at EU's €13bn tax demand' #skypapers pic.twitter.com/C8VRJs3cj3

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 30, 2016

FINANCIAL TIMES FRONT PAGE 'Brussels' €13bn tax bill clears way for further crackdowns on Apple' #skypapers pic.twitter.com/S6o9kEF8RC

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 30, 2016

The Guardian's Simon Bowers says that tax avoidance for big companies just got a lot harder.

He calls Apple's outrage "hogwash" and heralds the courage of Margrethe Vestager, stating that the taxman is entitled to a bigger share of what some multinational companies are earning.

Ireland gets an Apple windfall, but tackling tax avoidance just got harder | Simon Bowers https://t.co/QsEAFmlC9J

— The Guardian (@guardian) August 31, 2016

Oxfam has released a statement saying the ruling exemplifies why EU Governments should do more to regulate tax practices between governments and multinationals.

Aurore Chardonnet, Oxfam EU policy advisor on inequality and tax, said:

“This decision shows that some tax practises by EU member states can be terribly damaging. Poverty in Europe has been rising and some EU countries have even had bailout programmes in recent years, so it makes no sense for European governments spurn the chance to raise billions in corporate tax income for the benefit of their citizens.

“These sweetheart deals that let multinationals minimise their tax cannot be tolerated. If people's trust in the tax system is to be restored, European governments must act immediately to end these special deals otherwise people’s trust in the tax system will continue to evaporate."